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Is there a waiting period for supplementary dental insurance in Germany?

In short

Many tariffs no longer have a waiting period; by law it may be up to eight months for crowns, bridges and implants. What usually matters more is the cap scale (Zahnstaffel): in the first three to five years the tariff only pays up to a maximum, often EUR 500 to 1,750 in year one. After an accident these limits usually do not apply.

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Is there a waiting period for supplementary dental insurance in Germany?

What it costs

Published caps of the first years, reimbursement per policy year added up.

Example	Typical range
Cautious scale, first year	about EUR 500 to 1,000
Generous scale, first year	about EUR 1,500 to 1,750
Example scale over four years	EUR 1,500, 3,000, 4,500 and 6,000, then unlimited
End of the cap	usually after 3 to 5 years

Guide values as of September 2026, from published tariff descriptions. The cautious scale values from the second year are guide values from our quoting practice. We give you the exact scale of your tariff in the quote.

Worked example

Implant in the second policy year

A tariff with 90 percent reimbursement and a scale of EUR 1,000 in the first and EUR 2,000 in the first two years. A filling was already reimbursed in year one.

Bill for implant with crown	about EUR 5,000
Benefit without cap	about EUR 3,800
Already reimbursed in year one	about EUR 300
Still available until the end of year two	about EUR 1,700

The tariff pays around EUR 1,700 instead of EUR 3,800. If the implant can wait, an appointment after the scale ends often pays off; discuss this with your practice.

Waiting period and cap scale are two different things

A waiting period (Wartezeit) is a block: you already pay premiums but get no benefits yet. The Insurance Contract Act allows at most eight months for dental treatment, prosthetics and orthodontics in § 197 VVG.

A cap scale is a limit on the amount: the tariff pays from day one, but only up to a certain sum per year. Many insurers have dropped the waiting period and only use the scale. For you, the scale usually matters more.

What a typical cap scale looks like

The amounts usually add up over the years. A scale of EUR 1,500 in the first and EUR 3,000 in the first two years means: if you received EUR 1,500 in year one, you get at most EUR 1,500 more in year two.

Policy year	Cautious scale	Generous scale
Year 1	about EUR 500 to 1,000	about EUR 1,500 to 1,750
Up to year 2	about EUR 1,000 to 2,000	about EUR 3,000
Up to year 3	about EUR 1,500 to 3,000	about EUR 4,500
Up to year 4	about EUR 2,000 to 4,000	about EUR 6,000
From year 5 or 6	unlimited	unlimited

If you are only in Germany for a few years

On a two or three-year assignment, study programme or first Blue Card contract, you spend almost your whole stay inside the cap scale. A tariff with a cautious scale then pays little for large work. If you expect to stay only briefly, compare the amounts for years one to three rather than the premium alone.

If you leave, you can usually cancel with three months' notice to the end of the insurance year. The years you have used up are not refunded.

What is exempt from the waiting period

Tariffs usually pay for tooth damage from an accident at once and without caps. Professional cleaning is also often reimbursed from day one.

Orthodontics, on the other hand, often has its own longer blocks. Read the section on waiting periods in the terms carefully.

When the clock starts

Waiting period and scale run from the start date in your policy. Some tariffs count calendar years instead. Then signing in December is a poor choice, because the first year ends after a few weeks and only its small amount applies.

When you need not worry about the waiting period

If no major treatment is due in the next few years, waiting period and scale hardly matter. They simply run out. They only become important if you expect expensive work early. Even a tariff without a waiting period will not help then, because treatment already recommended is not covered anyway.

Step by step

Look for waiting period and cap scale in the terms.
Check whether the scale counts policy years or calendar years.
Clarify whether accidents are exempt from waiting period and scale.
Compare the amounts for the years you actually expect to be in Germany.
Plan larger treatment, where medically acceptable, after the scale ends.
Send the treatment and cost plan to the insurer in advance.

Checklist

Waiting period for prosthetics known, or none
Maximum amounts per year known
Counting by policy year or calendar year clarified
Accidents without waiting period and without caps
No recommended treatment open

Common mistakes

Taking a tariff without waiting period for a tariff without limits
Signing in December with calendar-year counting and wasting a scale year
Believing that without a waiting period recommended treatment is covered too
Booking expensive work in year one without looking at the scale

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Are there dental tariffs without a waiting period?

Yes, many. But they almost always have a cap scale that limits payouts in the first years.

How long may a waiting period be?

At most eight months for dental treatment, prosthetics and orthodontics, as set out in § 197 VVG.

Does the waiting period apply after an accident?

As a rule no. Most tariffs pay for accidental tooth damage at once and without caps.

Is cleaning covered straight away?

With many tariffs yes, from day one up to the annual budget.

Can I avoid the scale?

Only with tariffs that have a higher first-year amount or no scale, which usually cost more. Good cover completely without limits is rare.

Does the scale restart if I switch tariff?

Yes, with a new insurer it usually starts again. Do not switch shortly before planned treatment.

Sources

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